Cut Through

What does it feel like to have no country to call home? And how do you find happiness, hope and purpose when you’ve lost almost everything? Born in war-torn Congo, Roje Ndayambaje fled violence with his family and spent eight years growing up in a refugee camp in Uganda. Life meant mud houses, no running water or electricity, food shortages and the constant threat of danger. He lost his father and...

What if everything you’re chasing won’t actually make you happy? Joel and Luke Smallbone, the Australian brothers behind the globally successful, multi-Grammy Award-winning band FOR KING + COUNTRY, know what it’s like to chase a dream, face rejection and question whether it’s all worth it. Before the awards, sold-out tours and Hollywood films, they spent five years failing to break through in musi...

We have more freedom, wealth and opportunity than almost any generation in history. So why are so many of us anxious, divided and struggling to find purpose? Something is changing in the Western world. Trust in institutions is collapsing. Political and cultural divisions are growing. Young people are struggling to afford homes, build relationships and find meaning in life. And despite having more...

Is staying silent really the safest option? And what happens when standing up for what you believe could cost you friendships, your reputation, or your future? In a world where everyone has an opinion, social media rewards outrage, and disagreement can turn into hatred overnight, it’s tempting to switch off, stay quiet, and avoid the controversy. But what if staying silent comes at a greater cost?...

Why are people who’ve never been to church suddenly interested in Jesus? And what is it about  The Chosen  that’s connecting with audiences around the world, including people who don’t believe in God? In this episode of Cut Through, we sit down with  Dr. Ashish Thomas, International Marketing Director for The Chosen , to explore the global success of the hit series, the controversy surrounding its...

What happens when you’ve seen death up close, again and again? Darren Cheers has spent much of his working life around the line between life and death. He spent five years at Australia Zoo, working as a first aid officer alongside staff and animal teams during the Steve Irwin era. Darren was actually working at the zoo on the day news broke that Steve had died. He later became a qualified paramedi...

What does it take to walk through a door that might be booby-trapped, operate in a country where landmines and the Khmer Rouge are part of daily life, or take responsibility for protecting some of the most recognisable people on earth? John Rixon has spent a lifetime finding out. John’s career took him from the Australian military and policing into police diving, high-risk operations, counter-terr...

What do you do when someone who was supposed to protect you becomes the person who hurts you most? Phil Yates was sexually abused by his father as a child. For years, the memory remained buried. Then, at 21, it came back, bringing with it anger, confusion and questions that threatened to consume him. But abuse wasn’t the only adversity Phil faced. Growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia, Phil struggl...

What happens when your whole life is built around proving that you’re good enough? SJ Foaga knows that struggle firsthand. Diagnosed with epilepsy at 14, he spent his teenage years watching friends do things that seemed normal while wondering why life looked different for him. At the same time, he was driven to achieve, desperate to make his family proud and increasingly tying his identity to perf...

Paul Fua broke two world records, jet-skied 16,472km around Australia and helped raise more than $2.5 million for charity. But achievement didn’t give him what he thought it would. Paul went on to chase money and business success — until the Global Financial Crisis brought his business to its knees and forced him to question the pride and self-reliance that had driven much of his life. Today, Paul...

What does a lawyer who has spent her career weighing evidence, questioning witnesses and searching for truth do when the biggest question becomes whether God actually exists? Rebecca Cheers is a lawyer with a background in both law and psychology who has worked for the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, appearing regularly in court and dealing with serious criminal cases. Her work exposed her to...

Silvan Wallner achieved the dream millions of young footballers chase. By 18, he was a professional. He played for FC Zürich, competed on the European stage and represented Switzerland at youth level. Behind it were years of discipline, sacrifice, pressure and the relentless pursuit of becoming better. Then, at just 22, Silvan walked away from professional football. In this episode of  Cut Through...

What can a teenage pharaoh who died over 3,000 years ago teach us about life today? In this episode of  Cut Through , we sit down with  Wayne French —youth mentor, educator, creator of the  Tutankhamun Roadshow , and a lifelong student of archaeology and ancient history. For decades, Wayne has travelled throughout Egypt, Israel, Turkey and the Middle East, studying ancient civilizations, collectin...

Most of us have grown up believing that science has answered life’s biggest questions. But what if the deeper we’ve looked into the universe, the more mysterious it has become? In this episode of  Cut Through , we sit down with  Dr Luke Barnes  — theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, Senior Lecturer in Physics at Western Sydney University, and internationally recognised researcher in the fine-t...

She was 18 years old when doctors pronounced her dead. Before that moment, Benita’s life had already been marked by tragedy. After finding her mum dead from a heart attack at just five years old, she grew up in a chaotic home, searching for belonging, identity and an escape from the pain. Alcohol, depression, self-harm and repeated suicide attempts became her way of coping—until one night, after s...

Most people spend their lives chasing success, hoping it’ll finally give them purpose. Ken Duncan actually lived that dream—and discovered it wasn’t enough. Ken is one of Australia’s most celebrated photographers, with over 45 years behind the camera, an OAM, bestselling books, work alongside Mel Gibson on  The Passion of the Christ , and photographs that have inspired millions around the world. B...

Doctors gave Greg  two years to live . After three catastrophic accidents, multiple traumatic brain injuries and severe epilepsy, they believed there was little more they could do. He was suffering multiple violent seizures every day, trapped in addiction, and convinced death was inevitable. So convinced, in fact, that he covered his body in tattoos designed for his own funeral. But Greg didn’t di...

What happens when you finally achieve the things you thought would give your life meaning, only to discover you’re still empty? In this episode of Cut Through, Christian sits down with Trent Keegan, a former Australian Army reservist, outdoor wilderness instructor, martial arts instructor, personal trainer and self-confessed adrenaline junkie. Trent has spent years pushing himself to the limit thr...

Why are so many young men walking away from religion while quietly searching for meaning, purpose and something bigger than themselves? In this conversation, we sit down with  Dr. Quintin Betteridge  to explore one of the defining questions of our generation: Why, in the most connected, wealthy and technologically advanced period in human history, are so many young people feeling more isolated, an...

What do you listen to more: your fear, or your purpose? In this episode, Christian sits down with entrepreneur and business leader Warwick Schmitz for a conversation that cuts through hustle culture, self-help clichés, and the illusion that success solves the deeper questions of life. Warwick isn’t speaking from theory. He’s built and lost businesses multiple times. He started his first company at...

Most people chase success believing it will finally make them happy. But what happens when you actually get there? Loren Justins is the founder and CEO of Netconn Technology — a business he started in his early 20s and has built over more than 25 years. After dropping out of university, Loren went on to build a successful technology company, work with major organisations, mentor young leaders, wri...

Josh Gonzalez grew up in a good home. He wasn’t supposed to end up in gangs. But as a teenager in South-East Sydney, Josh was pulled into the streets, surrounded by violence, drugs and a culture built around respect, loyalty and reputation. What started as hanging around older guys became something much deeper. A search for brotherhood, identity and a place to belong. Before becoming a pastor, Jos...

Spotify Description: Josh Newbegin had what many young men dream of. Travelling the world. Snowboarding in Whistler. Chasing adventure. Living with freedom. But after finally getting the life he thought would make him happy, he discovered something confronting: It was fun… but it wasn’t fulfilling.   In this episode of  Cut Through , Christian sits down with Josh Newbegin — men’s coach, speaker, f...

What happens when AI can write essays, replace jobs, and teach you almost anything online for free? Is university still worth it — or are young people being sold an outdated system? In this episode of Cut Through, we sit down with Malcolm Coulson, Vice Chancellor of Avondale University, educator, leadership expert, and long-time researcher in human development and learning, to unpack one of the bi...

Most young men today aren’t lazy. They’re overstimulated, distracted, and starving for meaning. In this conversation, Dan Purdy breaks down why so many guys feel lost — even while chasing success, money, validation, and “self-improvement.” Drawing from decades leading teams inside Fortune 500 companies, mentoring young men, building businesses, and walking through personal pain, Dan shares a bruta...